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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. degree — temperature
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. shower — rain
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. dip — to sink
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. shower — to wash
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com